Videos Live Scores Podcasts Opinion Interviews Business of Sport Inside Story Football Cricket Tennis Formula One Golf NBA UFC UAE Racquet Sports Fitness

Dana White dismisses reports that UFC is in advanced talks over sale

Sport360 staff

21:24 11/05/2016

The reports emerged after ESPN’s Darren Rovell wrote Wednesday that White and the Fertitta brothers, Lorenzo and Frank who own 80% of the company, were nearing a sale.

Rovell claimed that at least four bidders were in the mix, including WME/IMG, China Media Capital, The Blackstone Group and Dalian Wanda Group.

The ESPN article went on to say that any sale would be in the region of $3.5 billion and $4 billion, according to “multiple sources with knowledge of the negotiations”.

But White quickly denied any such deal being in the making, telling Yahoo Sports; “we are not for sale.”

Abu Dhabi group Flash Entertainment bought a ten per cent stake in the company in 2010, with White’s share dropping to 9 per cent ownership and the Fertitta brothers to 40.5 each.

Goldman Sachs determined that last year’s UFC earnings were between $200-250 million with that figure expected to be doubled when the new TV rights deal comes into play in 2019.

More from ufc

French-Algerian Anissa Meksen gets chance to be first to claim new ONE Championship gold

Adrian Lee’s ONE Championship debut confirmed as he looks to further family legacy

NBA 3X ABU DHABI an unparalleled success with legends LaMarcus Aldridge and James Worthy in attendance

ONE Friday Fights 59: French-Algerian looks to maintain KO momentum in headliner

New ONE Championship king Alexis Nicolas ready to fight ‘the world’

French-Algerian Alexis Nicolas reflects on becoming ONE Championship world champ

Most Popular